By Trustee Devonna Klaassen
I was proud to join the 7th Annual Tom’s Walk – an annual memorial walk for mental health awareness and inspiring hope – alongside Board Chair Esther Eckert, Superintendent Michael Borgfjord, Black Gold staff and community members in Devon on Sunday May 26, 2024. The walk is organized by former Black Gold teacher Kelly Maxwell in honour of her son Tom, who was also part of the Black Gold family.
The event began with a short presentation – the educational portion of the event. Kelly spoke about how “it is a time to appreciate and value life … mental health, like physical health, is something that affects us all.” And yet so few of us truly understand it or know how to talk about it.
That’s what this walk is all about – to normalize talking about our mental health and to recognize it does not define us, just like our physical health does not define us.
We also reconnected to the theme that comes from tenets that were meaningful to Tom: “One Love” – in order to love others we must first love ourselves and to be kind to ourselves; “You Matter” – everyone is important and special; notice and acknowledge the people around you; and “Let’s Reconnect” – smile and make new connections. We celebrated these by singing the the Tom’s Walk Theme Song (written by Kelly Maxwell and Black Gold’s Andrew Scott).
The walk followed the path from the Devon Alliance Church along the edge of town and down into Voyageur Park. Along the way there were various signs with questions for reflection, and the walk was a great opportunity for connection.
The park, as always, was set up with music, food trucks, and vendors – a true celebration! We did see a few different types of weather over the course of the event, the rain didn’t slow us down!
The Black Gold School Division is proud to partner with Tom’s Walk in alignment with our strategic priorities and core values. We know that when kids are well – they are better prepared to learn and achieve. The same holds true for staff.
Schools across the Division also hold their own Tom’s Walk event, creating opportunities to address stigma and break down barriers through mental health awareness and education, foster connection and belonging, and engage in community connection, philanthropy, and citizenship – all while walking the talk (literally).
A big shout out to all who attended from the Black Gold Family! See you again next year.